1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lighting apparatus used for a bicycle, and more particularly to a convenient lighting apparatus easy to handle, which has a light emitting unit separable from a battery case so as to easily mount the light emitting unit on a bicycle independent of the battery case.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A flashlight using batteries has been often used conveniently for a bicycle in place of a dynamo generator that requires surplus pedaling force for rotating the dynamo generator to generate electricity.
In general, the conventional flashlight type bicycle light or headlight has one or more batteries and a light bulb incorporated in one housing and is usually mounted on a handlebar or other portion of the bicycle together with the batteries.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 by way of example, the conventional flashlight 1 applicable to a bicycle typically comprises a battery case 2 in which two batteries 4 are placed in series, and a light emitting unit 3 having a light bulb 5 and a concave reflector 11 surrounding the light bulb 5. The light emitting unit 3 is detachably united with the battery case 2. That is, the light emitting unit 3 is screwed on a screw portion 6a of the battery case 2 and can be removed when replacing the batteries as shown in FIG. 2.
In case of using the aforesaid flashlight 1 as a bicycle light, the flashlight 1 having the light emitting unit 3 integrally united with the battery case 2 as shown in FIG. 2 is fixed on the handlebar of the bicycle.
The flashlight 1 is generally provided with a switch 8 to switch on or off the light. The battery case 2 holds a spring 10 within to push the batteries 4 toward the light bulb 5. Within a housing 7 of the light emitting unit 3, there are disposed a lens 12 and a cylindrical positioning member 13 surrounding the light bulb 5 in addition to the aforesaid concave reflector 11. The light bulb 5 is retained by the positioning member 13 so as to place the bulb glass 5b of the light bulb 5 in position within the reflector 11.
However, the battery case and light emitting unit, which are connected to each other in line, make the flashlight long. Consequently, when such a long flashlight is attached to a handlebar of a bicycle in a usual manner, there is a fear that the long flashlight inconveniently becomes a hindrance to a bicycle rider in handling the bicycle and apt to catch the bicycle rider and experience a shock, and it may possibly be damaged or broken. Furthermore, the conventional flashlight entails problem such as difficulty in mounting on the bicycle.